Permutation lock



J. ROSZMANN.

PERMUTATION LOCK. APPLICATION FILED 050.3, 192;.

;1,429,970. 2 Patented sept- 26, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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J. ROSZMANN.

PERMUTATION LOCK,

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 3 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z- Patented Sept. 26

Patented Sept. 26, i922.

TATES' JOSEPH ROSZMANN', OF COVINGTON, KENTUCKY.

PERMU-TLATION LOCK.

Application filed December .3, 1921. Serial No. 519,599.

T all whom it may concern:

Be 1t known that I, Josnrn RoszMANN, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Covington, in the county of Kenton and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Permutation Locks,

of which thefollowing is a specification.

, My invention relates to permutation locks exemplified as applied for locking the steering wheel of an automobile, although it is ob-.

vious that the same may be applied in other.

relations.

It is the object of my invention to provide a novel permutation lock employing tumblers arranged in lateral relation to each other, acting separately upon a slidable bolt for locking the same, and arranged to be placed in such relation as to release the bolt; further, to provide a series of laterally arranged turn blersiha-ving formations thereon for placingthe tumblers in locking'or unlocking relain unlocked relation.

in positioned relations, andknobs for operating the tumblers; further, to provide a slidable bolt andlaterally arranged tumblers for looking or unlocking the bolt, and an actuating lever for the bolt arranged to hold the same in locked relation 01'' in unlocked relation.

The invention will be further readily understood from the following description and claims, and from the drawings, in which rear plate, and are threaded into the steering Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my' improved latter device shown applied to the steering post and steering wheel of an automobile. I Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 3' is an axial section'taken-on the line 33 of- Fig. 2. U

i Fig. at is a'bottom view of the locking ringin connection with the device, show-n in cross-section onthe line4-4of Fig. 1.

taken on the, line 55 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a, detail of the assemblingmeans for the lock, taken on the line 6-6 of Fig-2.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of my improved device, in locked relation, with the side wall exposing the in of the casing removed for;

terior of the cas ng.

Fig. Sis a similar v1ew,show1ng the. device Fig. 9. is avertical section of my improved device, taken on the llne 99 of Fig; 7

Fig. 10 is a rear elevation of my improved at 22. A steering wheel 23 is secured to the steeringshaft in any suitable manner so as to rotate with relation to the steeringpost, but to beheldin endwise relation thereto.

- A locking ring 26' is provided with a suitable number of recesses 27, which form keepers for the lockand which are also shown arranged to receive screws 28, by means of which to secure the ring to the steering wheel. j I

The casing of the lock is exemplified as comprising a box-like structure 31, provided with flanges 32. A rear plate 33 closes the casing. The flanges and rear plate are shown curved to fit the steering post. The casing and the rear plate are secured together, as by means of screws 34: received through the fianges32-and threaded into the rear plate, these screws being shown as countersunk in theflanges in Fig. 6. Screws 35. are received through the flanges and. the margins of the flanges, so as to cover and hide the screws.

. A bolt-slide 41 has a bolt 42- thereon. This bolt-slide is arranged to slide'in the casing,

, and is'normally urged into lockingrelation byia-spring 43, one endof which is received in a recess 44 inthe bolt-slide, theother end ofthe spring'resting against the end wall45 of the casing. The rear face of the bolt-slide is shown curved on an arcto correspond to the curvatureof' the rear plate, and the front of the bolt-slide is atits corners provided -with lugs 46,bymeans of which the bolt-g ing the sides of the tumblers'with indenta-' tions 61 to form shanks 62, having flanges 63 at their inner ends.

Socket-pieces 65 are fixed in apertures 66 in the front wall l? of the casing. These socket-pieces are rigidly positioned in the front wall, as by brazing or otherwise fixing the same thereto. The inner ends of these socket-pieces are provided with slots 68 radially arranged with relation to the inner walls of the sockets. Each of the permutation stems is provided with a pin 69, which is arranged to be selectively placed in any of the slots at the rear of the socket-pieces for determining the relations of the tumblers to the tumbler-plate. Each of the tumblers has a knob 70 fixed to its outer end, shown as a knurled knob, for turning the tumbler.

' A spring 73 is located in each of the sockets of the socket-pieces between the bottom of the socket and an enlargement 74 of the stem, (see Fig. 11), which is received in and guided by the wall of the socket. This construction is for the purpose of positioning the tumbler in adjusted relations by yieldingly pressingthe tumbler outwardly for normally urging the pin thereon to enter one of the slots, and to permit the yielding inward movement of the tumbler to move the pin out of the slot when the knob 01'' the tumbler is to be turned.

The shanks of the tumblers are wider in one dimension than inthe other, so that when any one of the shanks is placed crosswise in its enlargement in the slot of the permutation plate, the lock is inlocked relation. In

- order to place the lock in unlocked relation,

all of the shanks must in their greater dimensions be parallel with theslot in the permutation plate. 1

Each of the knobs is provided with an identifying mark 76 to show the turned relation of the tumbler. These identifying marks are shown as digits. Some of the shanks in their greater dimensions are placed in relations similar to the digits, and some are placed crosswise thereof, depending on the arrangement desired for open relation of the lock. In the present exemplitication the shanks of the tumblers marked 1, 3, 5 and 6 extend lengthwise of the digits, and the shanks of thetumblers marked-2 and l eX- tend crosswise of the digits. 7

The arrangement of the tumblers shown slot in the slot in the plate, thereby placing all of said shanks lengthwise of said slot, as shown in Fig. 8. When all of the shanks are'so arranged the bolt-slide may be operated to retract the bolt.

The retraction of the bolt is effected by means or a lever, comprising a stem 81, 1'0- tating in a bearing 82 in the wall of the casing, and having an arm 83 fixed thereto, and operated by means of a knob 84 fixed to the shank. The arm 83 is received in a recess 85 in the side of the bolt-slide, and is arranged to engage the end walls 86, 87, of said recess for moving the bolt-slide. These end walls comprise cam-portions arranged to be engaged by the end of the arm for moving the bolt-slide, shoulders 88, 89, being located at the ends of said cam-portions for arresting the movements of the arm. When the arm is in engagement with a shoulder, the bolt-slide is held in moved relation, so that the operating knob may be released by the operator, and the bolt remain in the relation in which it has been placed by said knob.

When the bolt is in unlocked relation, all of the shanks of the various tumblers are located in the slots in the rear of the tumbler plate, thereby preventing turning of any of the tumblers while the lock is in unlocked relation, and avoiding the necessity or rearranging the tumblers if it is desired to again lock the lock. The bolt is again placed in locking relation by the turning of the operating knob, and the lock may thereupon be locked by the turning of any one or more or all of the tumblers, making it necessary to again manipulate the tumblers into correct relations to again permit the retraction oft-he bolt. I

' A great number of different combinations in unlocking relation of the lock may beobtained by change in relation of one or more of the digit knobs and their respective shanks, or the substitution of tumblers having different relation of digit and shank.

My improved device forms a simple and exceptionally strong lock of few and simple parts, readily made and assembled.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: I

1. In a permutation lock, the combination of a bolt-slide provided with slots and enlargements of said slots, and rotatable tumblers provided with shanks in alinement with said slots and said enlargements, said respective shanks being wider in one dimension than in another dimension, said wider dimensions being wider than said slots and arranged to be located in said enlargements crosswiseof said slots when said bolt-slide is in locked relation, said shanks arranged to be rotated for presenting their wider dimensions or their narrower dimensions toward said slots, means for yieldingly holding said respective tumblers in rotated relation, and spring means normally urging said bolt-slide into locked relation.

2. In a permutation lock, the combination of a permutation-plate provided with a slot extending lengthwise thereof and provided with enlargements to divide said slot into sections, tumblers in lateral arrangement, said tumblers respectively provided with shanks respectively wider in one dimension than in another dimension and located in said enlargements when said permutation-plate is in locking relation, said wider dimensions being wider than said slots, said tumblers arranged to be rotated for placing the narrower dimensions thereof in alinement with said slot, and means to move said permutation-plate lengthwise when said narrower dimensions are in said last-named relation to place the walls of said sections of said slot alongside said narrower dimensions for unlocking relation of said permutation-plate,

3. In a permutation lock, the combination of a permutation-plate, said permutationplate provided with slots and enlargements of said slots, laterally arranged rotatable tumblers, respectively comprising stems and knobs, said stems comprising shanks respectively wider in one dimension than in another dimension, said wider dimensions being wider than said slots, and said slots cooperating with the narrower dimensions of sald shanks for unlocking relation of the respectively extend, said stems respectively provided with abutments, and springs in said socket-pieces about said stems between the bottoms of said socket-pieces and said knobs to urge said abutments toward said socket-pieces and to hold said tumblers in rotated relations.

4:. In a permutation lock, the combination of a casing, a bolt-slide therein, a permutation-plate on said bolt-slide, said permutation-plate provided with slots and enlargements of said slots, laterally arranged rotatable tumblers respectively comprising stems and knobs, said stems comprising shanks respectively wider in one dimension than in another dimension, said wider dimensions being wider than said slots and said slots co-operating with the narrower dimensions of said shanks for unlocking relation of said lock, socket-pieces fixed to said casing, said stems extending through said socket-pieces, the inner ends of said socket-pieces provided with slots, pins in said stems between said socket-pieces and said shanks, and springs in said socketpieces under said knobs to urge said tumblers outwardly and said pins into said last-named slots to hold said tumblers in rotated relations.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH ROSZMANN.

lock, socket-pieces through which said stems 

